Marc Savard has experienced difficult and trying days in recent months but Monday was all about celebration.

The Boston Bruins' star forward brought the Stanley Cup to his adopted hometown of Peterborough and to his favourite hangout, the Kawartha Golf and Country Club, to share it with fans.

And there were plenty of them. KGCC officials estimate more than 1,500 lined up to get pictures with Savard, during a 90-minute appearance, and then the Cup by itself, in a tent beside the clubhouse. Savard might have stayed longer except he had to play the final round of the club's three-day Kawartha Invitational Tournament.

Sidelined by career threatening concussions, Savard, 34, watched Boston's victory from the stands and on TV. He grew up in the Ottawa area, but he made Peterborough his home following his junior career with the Oshawa Generals.

This is where Savard feels most comfortable which is why he brought the Cup to Peterborough.

"People here have embraced me," he said, "especially after playing Peterborough with Oshawa. It took a while, but they got over it. Hopefully, something like today helps out even more."

He wasn't surprised by the large number of Bruins' black an yellow jerseys in the lineup.

"I knew there were a lot of Bruins fans in Peterborough and they've proved it again here today. It's special and I'm just glad I could share it with them," he said.

Savard watched the Bruins road games on TV but took his three children to Boston for home games.

"I've been to battle with all those guys who won and I felt for them every night. It was tough watching on TV. Sometimes I couldn't watch it, but they pulled through and the home games I was there. That was great because every time I was there they blew teams out. That made it that much easier and the kids got to come down and see something they'll never forget. It was too bad I couldn't be on the ice, but it was the next best thing. They made me feel part of the team every minute."

Savard will not be at Bruins' training camp and it's unclear if he'll play again.

"I'm not worried about hockey right now. I'm just trying to get healthy," he said.

Savard says he wouldn't be able to golf if he had to walk the course. He's riding a cart and even then he says there are moments where he feels the concussion symptoms.

"Morning have been tough. When I get up in the morning I'm a little foggy. Sometimes looking over the ball it's a little blurry. I still get a little bit of dots. As the day wears on I get pretty good. The hot sun is pretty tough. I try to stay in the shade and stuff like that and pop the odd Advil here and there. It seems to be OK as long as I'm riding (a cart)," said Savard.

It's been emotional for family and friends, too.

Savard's mother Rollande was glad to see her son happy.

"Marc has dreamt to have that Stanley Cup and I'm happy he has it now," she said, "because I don't know what his career will be like right now. That's the bonus for him. This is something big for Marc. It's nice to see all these people here. Marc is very happy."

Long-time friend and former Oshawa teammate Jay Legault said: "I cried when he won it because I've been a Bruins fan all my life, too" Legault said. "It was nice to see him sign a contract with them four or five years ago and then to actually win the Cup is pretty cool, I know he was extremely excited. With all his injuries I know he's considering, maybe, not playing any more."

Peterborough's John Casselman said he's been a Bruins' fan since he was old enough to spell Bobby Orr and now his son Caleb, 11, shares his passion. With their Bruins' jerseys they posed with Savard alongside the Cup.

"It's amazing," said Caleb.

"That was a highlight for me," John Casselman said. "Sharing that moment with my son.

"It's an honour just to have a picture with a guy who has put his heart and soul into the game."

Also in Bruins jerseys were Newcastle's Michael Kalita and his son Shawn, 9.

"It's one thing to see them hoisting the Cup on TV, but to be able to touch it with all the history behind it is a helluva feeling," said Michael Kalita. "It's the trophy with the most tradition. It's the history behind it and all the players who have won it."